The U.S. Department of Agriculture yesterday announced that Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue has tapped three individuals to fill leadership roles within the agency’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS).
FNS oversees, among other federal feeding programs: school breakfast and lunch; daycare meals (via the Child and Adult Care Food Program); SNAP (the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as Food Stamps); and WIC (the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children).
The three appointees are: Brandon Lipps, who will serve as the Administrator of the Food and Nutrition Service and as until the Senate confirms a permanent presidentially-nominated appointee; Maggie Lyons, who will serve as Chief of Staff and senior advisor to the Under Secretary; and Kailee Tkacz, who will serve as policy advisor.
You can read about each of the appointees’ backgrounds in the press release.
Of particular note to me are the direct ties of two of the appointees to Big Food: Tkacz most recently worked as a lobbyist for the Corn Refiners Association, the trade group representing manufacturers of high fructose corn syrup, and previously lobbied for the Snack Food Association. Lyons most recently headed up governmental affairs for the National Grocers Association.
I’m curious to hear food policy and child health advocates’ reaction to these appointments. I’ll share anything of note here on the blog.
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